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what do you need to mount a tv

What Do You Need to Mount a TV – A Comprehensive List of Essential Tools

Popular Category: Tv mounts

Table of Contents

Mounting a TV to the wall is not too complex as long as you have the proper tools and supplies for the job. 

It can be confusing for many people since the tools and supplies you need can be different depending on a number of factors. 

Quick summary

In this post, we will compile different lists of tools and supplies that you will need to mount a TV onto different types of walls. 

As you can probably imagine, the tools you’ll need will depend on many factors such as the type of wall mount you have, its size, and the type of wall you have. 

Hence, we will provide you with lists of tools and supplies you will need for each different scenario.

So without further ado, let’s get started.

Tools Needed to Mount onto Drywall

drywall

By far, the most common type of wall that most people have in the United States is Drywall; Drywall that has wooden studs to be exact. The spacing of the studs can vary as well but the most common spacing is 16 inches. 

Hence, most of the wall mounts that you will find will indeed be designed for Drywall that has wooden studs in it that are 16 inches apart. 

The tools and supplies you will need to mount your TV onto Drywall are: 

  • A stud finder: You will need a stud finder to help you identify the locations of your wall studs. It’s highly important that you install the wall mount onto studs because otherwise, the TV mount could come loose from the wall. 
  • Power drill: A variable speed power drill will make the job much easier as you will need it to drill holes into the wall.
  • Drill bits: Depending on the size of the bolts and screws you have, you will need different-sized drill bits to ensure they work properly with them.
  • A level: You will need a level to ensure that your TV is mounted level both vertically and horizontally.
  • A socket wrench with many sockets: You will need the socket wrench to connect the TV to the wall mount. 
  • A tape measure: You will need it to identify what the VESA pattern of your TV is. 
  • Safety goggles: Drilling into the wall will create a lot of dust that you definitely don’t want to get into your eyes. Also, it’s always a good idea to have some protection for your eyes when working with power tools. 
  • Drywall screws: You may or may not have to get these separately. Sometimes they come packaged with the wall mount you buy. If you don’t get them with the wall mount itself, you can just buy them from your nearest hardware store. 
  • A pencil or a marker: You will need something to mark the locations of wall studs and mounting holes for the wall mount. 
  • Snap toggles: You may need to buy snap toggles in the event that you don’t have wall studs where you need them to be. 
  • Assorted screws and bolts: These will be provided with the TV mount you buy. 
  • Additional screws and bolts: You may need to get these if some are missing from your TV mount box. That can definitely happen sometimes so it’s a good idea to check the components you get with the mount. 

If you feel something is missing (such as a screw or a bolt), it’s a good idea to go get it before you start the installation process.

Tools Needed to Mount onto a Brick Wall

tools for brick wall

As you can probably imagine, the tools you will need to mount a TV on a brick wall are fairly different from the tools you require to mount it on Drywall. 

Firstly, you will not need a stud finder or snap toggles for a brick wall. You also won’t need Drywall screws. 

However, you will need some special tools that can effectively drill through a solid brick wall

The tools and supplies you will require to install a mount onto a brick wall are: 

  • A hammer drill: You’ll need a hammer drill or some sort of high-impact drill to properly penetrate the solid brick wall. 
  • Carbide-tipped masonry bits: Regular drill bits won’t be strong enough to go through brick. If you use regular drill bits, not only will you be unsuccessful but you’ll also break them. 
  • Concrete sleeve anchors or concrete screws: You will need them to securely install the mounting bracket onto the wall. 
  • A level: Of course, you’ll need it here too to ensure your TV’s not being installed crooked.
  • A socket wrench with many sockets: The TV will connect to the mount using bolts. Hence, you’ll need a socket wrench to screw those bolts in. 
  • A tape measure: Similar to Drywall, you will need a tape measure to identify what the VESA pattern of your TV is. You can identify the VESA pattern by turning the TV over and measuring the distances between the four mounting holes at the back. 
  • Safety goggles: Similar to Drywall, drilling into brick walls will create a lot of dust and debris. We recommend that you have some protection for your eyes during drilling. 
  • A small vacuum with a tiny nozzle: Sometimes, the holes you drill get clogged up with the dust and debris from the wall. You will need to clear those holes out using a small vacuum. 

Important tip: Make sure that you connect the power cord and other wires to the TV before you mount it. 

This will help you snake the wires through the connection panels and you’ll have a much easier time installing the TV.

Tools Needed to Hide Wires

wires

Wall mounting can definitely be a pain but it definitely gets a whole lot easier if you have the right tools. 

That being said, you’re not done once you mount a TV onto the wall. You also have to put in some effort to hide the wires hanging from your TV. 

There’s really no point mounting your TV if you don’t spend the time to hide the wires as well. It entirely defeats the purpose of you trying to have a neat and tidy look in your living room

The tools you will need will depend on the method you use to hide the wires.

Cord Concealer or Raceway Kit Method

By far, the easiest and most common to hide wires dangling from your TV is to use raceways. 

Raceways are small plastic tunnels that attach to your wall. They can be used to hide TV wires and other cables in plain sight. 

All you have to do is feed the wires into the raceway and then attach the raceway to your wall. 

Raceway kits are available in all types of different sizes and colors. 

This is great since it allows you to choose a color that will blend in well with your living room’s surroundings. 

Raceway kits are also typically made from plastic. This means that if your raceway is too long, you can easily cut it down so that it’s a perfect size. 

In-Wall Wiring Kits

Feeding your wires into the wall can be a great way to hide them. However, the problem with that is that it’s against safety regulations.

Having live power cables inside your walls can be a serious fire hazard. 

Luckily, in-wall wiring kits are available in the market. They are code-compliant and you can use them to cover your power cables so that they can be fed into your walls. 

They are also incredibly easy to install. 

Other tools and supplies you may need include: 

  • An in-wall extender: You will need an in-wall extender to extend the power you currently get from one outlet to another. 
  • A Drywall saw: You will need a drywall saw to cut out the pieces in the wall to feed the wires through. We highly recommend that you get a specialized Drywall saw from your local hardware store rather than a regular saw you may have laying at home. 
  • Steel fishing tape: A Steel fish tape puller is something you will need to properly fish the wires through the wall. 
  • A stud finder: You’ll need a stud finder to find the locations of the studs when you want to fish the wires through the wall. It’s important that the wires are fed through the same stud. Otherwise, it’ll be a lot harder. 

Miscellaneous Tools You May or May Not Need

misc tools

In this section, we have provided some additional tools that you may need for certain processes depending on the type of wall you have. 

We have provided brief descriptions of what you can do with these tools and when you would need them: 

  • Toggle bolts: Toggle bolts are also known as butterfly anchors and they can be used to hang your mount onto Drywall if it doesn’t have wooden studs. 
  • Lag bolts: Lag bolts, also known as lag screws, are extremely sturdy fasteners. You can use them to install your wall mount onto your brick or concrete wall. Most lag screws use an extra nut for additional strength and safety. 
  • Drywall anchors: You will need Drywall anchors to hang your TV mount onto Drywall. They can be combined with different screws to create a firm grip on whatever you want to hang onto the wall. Drywall anchors go between the screw and the Drywall. As a result, they grip it much tighter than just a regular screw. 
  • Epoxy masonry: If you’re drilling into a concrete wall or a brick wall, it can definitely get more damaged than you intend. In this case, you can buy epoxy masonry and use it to fix any extra cracks you may have made during drilling. 

Wrapping Things Up…

mount

We hope we’ve provided a comprehensive enough breakdown of the tools and supplies you will need for each type of TV mount installation job

As long as you gather the tools and supplies first, the installation process will be a walk in the park. 

If you have any more questions for us, please let us know in the comments below. 

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A/V and Home Theater Expert that focuses on providing clear as well as concise reviews for anything and everything Audio Visual. From TV's, TV Mounts, Soundbars, and Wiring, my focus is to provide expertise in everything Audio Visual focused.

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